Electric furnace for the continuous extraction of zinc from its ores.



E. F. UGTE & P. R. PIERRON. RNAGE FOR THE CONTINUOUS EXTRACTION OF ZINC PROM ITS ORES.

ELECTRIC PU APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1967.

Patented Dec. 28, 1909.

' To all whom it'may concern:

. 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE rnAngoIs corn AND rAUL RAMBERT PIERRON, OFQLYON, FRANCE.

ELECTRIC FORNACE FOR THE CONTINUOUS EXTRACTION OF ZINC FROM ITS ORES.

Specification'of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28 1909.

Application filed May 14, 1997. Serial No. 373,627.

Be it known that we, EUGENE Fniiugois Core, of 24. Rue Sully, electrical engineer, and PAUL RAMBERT Pmnnon, of 1 Rue d Algrie, electrical engineer, both of Lyon, Rhone, Republic of France, have invented an Electric Furnace for the'Gontinuous Extraction-of Zinc from its Ores, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention is an improvement in electric furnaces, and consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to permit zinc ores, preferably poor blends, to be treated in acontinuous manner for extracting the metal therefrom, and ermitting the heating of crude blends wit out it being necessary to previous] roast them in order to transform'thesulfi into oxid.

' Referring to thedra'wings forming a part hereof, the figure shows a vertical section of the furnace' 4 In the. present embodiment of the invention, the reaction chamber a is rovided with movable electrodes 11,1), an with a feed inlet 2' between the electrodes. tap hole t is closed by the usual plug u, and at the opposite end of the chamber from the tap hole is an outlet t.

The electrodes 7), b, are movable vertically as before stated, with respect to the chamber, and the furnace may be operated either in resistance by causing the two electrodes to plunge in the bath in fusion,.in the chamber, or with a single are by plunging one electrode into the bath, and moving the lower part of the other to arcing distances with the matter in fusion. Either method may be used according to the nature of the ore which is being treated and the' kind. of, reaction desired to be effected within the furnace. Should the sides of the furna'ce become foul during the working of the furnace in resistance, working with the arc fora few moments will automatically cleanse them without opening the furnace.

The electrodes 1), b are connected at their upper ends with screws 0, 0', which traverse threaded nuts jou'rnaled in bearings (l, d inv a supporting frame above the furnace, and the n per ends of the nuts are provided with have gears meshing with bevel gears e, e, by means of which the screws may be rotated to raise or lower the electrodes.

The

The feed. inlet 1' is provided with a steel .(lrill '11, and to prevent choking of the inlet,

The charging of the furnace effected by suitable mechanism, not shown, which is operated by anelectric motor m.

A hopper Z is arranged above the furnace, and delivers to the inlet, through a chute 7c. The tap hole 25 is as before stated, closed by a plug it, which is an electrode, and is provided with trunnions which are journaled in the lower end of a lever -21: )ivoted as at 01, whereby the electrode may be swung into and out of the tap hole to open or close the same.

Each of the electrodes 5, b and u are connected by leads, as shown, with a suitable source of electrical supply. The end of. the

furnace adjacent to the tapping hole is protinned to exhaust the last fraction of ore,

which has just been introduced, after which the electric current is interrupted immediately following the emptying of the furnace through the tapping hole. The electrodes are now elevated until their inner ends clear the opening of the furnace,v after which the stopper w is removed, and by means of a rabble, the furnace may be rapidly cleaned.

The condenser, as shown, consists of a vertical cylinder 1, furnished with a lining of refractory earth and of agreater diameter at its upper end than at its lower end. A thin walled tube of finely ground, strongly pressed refractory earth or other suitable material offering sufficient resistance of elevated temperatures, and with a minimum porosity, is arranged concentrically with'the cylinder Z and extends from the top -to the bottom thereof, a small space being formed current passing through the electrodes,

second, by the length of the column of carbon, and third by the size and state of comminution of the fragments of carbon in the tube.

The zinc vapors pass through the orifice t into the condenser, and in the opposite side of the condenser from the or'ifice,t is arranged a stopper 5, provided with a swiveling block traversed by a rabble 6, thus permitting the orifice to be cleared when necessary, for example, in case of irregular working of the furnace, without opening .any orifice whereby to permit the entry of air. The condensed vapor in the form of liquid zinc, flows from the inclined bottom of the condenser, and is evacuated through the lower orifice 7.

Above the orifice 7 is arranged a stopper 8, thestopper being provided with a swiveling block through which slides ajrabble. '10. 7' The essential feature of theco'ndenser, is the-.heati,ng thereof by a central heating column, under theaction of an auxiliary electric-current, so arranged as to permit of the regulation of the temperature at will in all parts of" the condenser,and ;the heater ma be constructed in any suitable manner which will attain this end.

j' The electrodes are moved toward and from each otheraccording to..thc voltage and. am- ;Perage of the current, whereby to regulate E the temperature in the condenser and the i cinder-s and incandescent carbon are caused to pass more orless quickly through the tube to make more or less heat.

In the treatment of calamins, they 'are introduced into the furnace mixed with the desired weight of reduced fuel and fluxes aecording-to the composition of the gangues. The blends may be introduced either crude .or roas ted and whenthe crude blends are treated they are reduced to the size of coarse ing to the reaction. In addition, the flux necessary to increase the fluidity of the slag is also added. The Zinc removed by the iron,

slag are run off at regular intervals.

It will be evident from the description, that the condenser is electrically heated, the heating being obtained by any kind of electrode, and bythe heating of the bed of carbon. It will be observed, that the condenser comprises essentially an outer casing, and an inner casing arranged there within and whose walls are spaced apart from the walls of the outer casing, the inner casing being provided at each end with an electrode which forms the terminals of an electric circuit and that non-fusible material is ar ranged between the electrodes.

-VVe claim:

1. In a reducing furnace, a condenser comprising an outer casingcommunicating with the furnace, an inner casing arranged within the outer casing, and spaced apart from the walls thereof, an electrode at each end of the .passes into the condenser as it is set at liberty and reduced to vapor, and the iron sultid and inner casing,,the 'electrodes forming the terminals of an electric circuit, the electrodes being movable toward and from each other,

and non-fusiblematerial arranged between the electrodes for the purpose 'setforth.

2. In a reducing furnace, a condenser comprising inner and outer casings spaced apart from each other, the outercasing communleating with the furnace, electrodes at each end of the inner casing, the electrodes being movable toward and from c .ch other, and a mass of' non-fusible material between the electrodes.

3. In a reducing furnace, a condenser com prising a casing communicating therewith, a tube within the casing, an electrode in each end of the tube, and. the electrodes being movable toward and from each other.

4. A condenser for furnaces, comprising a casing communicating with the furnace,

means within the casing for containin nonfusible material, and a pair'of space elec-.

trodes within the non-fusible material.

L 'sand and mixed with a proportion of filings or of wrought or cast iron waste sutficient to I,

remove all the metal from the sulfid accord- The foregoing specification of our electric furnace for the continuous extraction of zinc from its ores signed by us this 6th day of April 1907.

EUGENE F tANQOIS corn. PAUL RAMBERI PIERRON.

\Vitnesses Tnos. .LT. BROWNE, MARiN VAoHoN. 

